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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25074577">bridge the gap</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/antpelts/pseuds/antpelts'>antpelts</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dear Evan Hansen - Pasek &amp; Paul/Levenson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Ambiguous/Open Ending, Canon Compliant, Drabble, M/M, Making Up, Post-Canon, Reconciliation, i wrote it as romantic but could be friends</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 03:02:09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>879</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25074577</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/antpelts/pseuds/antpelts</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“We can’t go back in time,” Jared’s voice was deliberate in a way that made Evan feel nauseous, it hurt a lot more than his frantic rambling and emotional outbursts, “so stop trying to reverse what you said.”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Evan Hansen &amp; Jared Kleinman, Evan Hansen/Jared Kleinman</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>51</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>bridge the gap</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>not beta read lol just a prompt i got on tumblr @antpelts so crossposting bc why not</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“We can’t go back in time,” Jared’s voice was deliberate in a way that made Evan feel nauseous, it hurt a lot more than his frantic rambling and emotional outbursts, “so stop trying to reverse what you said.”</p>
<p>“I’m- I’m not.. that’s..” Evan floundered a bit, trying to collect his breathing while Jared gave him a pointed look. He felt like he was in the middle of an ambush, but he was the one who showed up unannounced on Jared’s doorstep. </p>
<p>It had been two days, two very long days, since he’d told the Murphys. But the guilt didn’t go away. So after a few hours of hyping himself up he found himself on Jared’s doorstep. The thing was he knew that when Jared’s parents went out of town for the weekend that included Monday, oddly, it always had, so there was no excuse to not go Sunday. His brain tried to say no, ‘what if his parents come home and he sells you out to them and more people-’</p>
<p>There were so many things wrong with that train of thought, even barring the fact that they definitely wouldn’t be home until Monday afternoon. Jared wouldn’t sell him out - hell, Jared wouldn’t even talk to his parents. Jared.</p>
<p>He looked like shit.</p>
<p>Hair simultaneously flat with grease but twisted into its natural slight curls, glasses slipping down his nose, bags under his eyes. He looked like he’d been wearing the same clothes for the last two days. Maybe it was a long two days for the both of them.</p>
<p>“That’s not what I’m, um, doing. I’m not trying..” Subconsciously his right hand shifted to cling to his left forearm. “I know I.. can’t. Re-Reverse it, I mean.”</p>
<p>“Okay.” Jared took a step back from the front door, giving a slight jerk of his head that Evan almost didn’t notice, inviting him in. Well, inviting sort of held a positive connotation, he felt like a lamb being led to slaughter. A deserved slaughter. Maybe more of a trial, actually. Once he was through the threshold he toed his shoes off, gently nudging them into place next to Jared’s own on the doormat. He followed into the living room - it had always felt so stiff, they tended to go to Jared’s room - and awkwardly lowered himself to perch on the edge of the couch.</p>
<p>“I wanted, uh, sorry.. I wanted to say I’m- I’m sorry.” </p>
<p>“Okay.”</p>
<p>The pause that settled over them was suffocating, Evan felt like he could barely breathe.</p>
<p>“I am.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I heard you.” Jared leaned back against the cushions, splaying out. He projected comfort, the upper hand, but Evan could still see that underlying <em>thing </em>in his eyes. He’d never been able to truly place it but now he was starting to understand what it was. Or he had an idea. Jared understood him more than either would ever know - that underlying sadness was something they shared. </p>
<p>They were at a stalemate - maybe he needed to switch his approach.</p>
<p>“I miss you,” it came out sounding a lot more strangled than Evan meant but his throat did that thing- the thing where it gets tight and it hurts and you can barely manage a word. He cleared his throat. “You were my, uh, my friend. That’s.. my fault for.. I don’t know? I guess I, um, just.. I’m sorry. I am.”</p>
<p>“‘s not like I gave you much to work with,” Jared rubbed at his nose and shrugged, “you’re totally an asshole but.. I wasn’t winning any friend of the year awards.”</p>
<p>“I know.” Evan’s breath came out slightly ragged and he bit his tongue, shifting how he sat so that his knees faced Jared now. “That doesn’t mean.. I just, um, yeah. I.. wanna try again. Different this time. Um.. better. This time.”</p>
<p>After a second Jared lifted his gaze, hesitantly meeting Evan’s own. “It’s never gonna be the same again.”</p>
<p>“I know,” Evan repeated, swallowing thickly. “But it can, um, be different.”</p>
<p>“Different?” Jared was sitting up, shifting closer. Their knees touched and Evan nodded quickly.</p>
<p>“Stuff doesn’t feel.. right without you?” It was tentative, Evan wasn’t sure if something was going to be far. But.. he needed to work on the truth. That was the truth. “Nothing.. felt, um, right? But with.. you around it does?”</p>
<p>“Is that a question?” A slight tilt of his head, a quirked brow.</p>
<p>“With you around stuff.. everything feels right,” Evan tried, removing his traces of uncertainty. </p>
<p>Jared hummed contemplatively before his hand was on Evan’s, pulling it away from where he was gripping his arm. When he glanced down he saw the crescent shapes his nails had left. Their hands stayed connected. Both of their palms were sweaty.</p>
<p>“Alright,” he said it like he hadn’t just shaken up Evan’s whole world. He hadn’t known what to expect but.. Jared wasn’t kicking him out or yelling at him. “We can figure it out, then?”</p>
<p>“Okay.”</p>
<p>“Still don’t totally forgive you though,” Jared said, brows drawing together. Evan decided not to comment on the fact that they were holding hands. “But we’ll figure it out.”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry.”</p>
<p>“I know, asshole,” the faintest hint of a smile tugged at Jared’s lips, even if his face was still creased with uncertainty.</p>
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